In his last appearane in IPL 2024, stand-in captain Sam Curran led Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a thrilling five-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday, May 15. Chasing a modest 145-run target on a sluggish Guwahati pitch, Punjab relied heavily on Curran's unbeaten knock of 63 runs.
Curran formed a crucial 63-run partnership with Jitesh Sharma (22) to steer the team home with seven balls to spare. Despite losing Sharma in the 16th over, Curran remained unfazed, guiding Punjab to victory and securing them a much-needed climb out of last place in the 10-team IPL table.
Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow fly back to England
This win marks a bittersweet moment for Punjab, as both Curran and teammate Jonny Bairstow will depart for England on Thursday to join their national team's preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup in June.
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“Me and Jonny are leaving tomorrow. Obviously nice. Have thoroughly enjoyed the season, have enjoyed captaining. Atmosphere around the group has been really good. Excited about the World Cup,” Curran said at the post-match presentation.
England call-ups impact teams as Rajasthan Royals fall again
Several England players, including Rajasthan Royals' star Jos Buttler, departed the IPL early to join their national team for a four-match T20 series against Pakistan. These pre-World Cup tune-up matches are being held in the West Indies and the United States. Rajasthan's depleted squad struggled against the Punjab Kings, extending their losing streak to four in a row. Despite a late cameo of 17 runs, including the winning hit, from substitute batter Ashutosh Sharma, the Royals fell short of their target.
“To be very honest, we have to sit back and accept that we are going through some failures. You have to find out what’s not working well as a team. When you are getting to the business end, we need someone to raise their finger up and say ‘I am going to win the game for the team’. We have the players who can do that,” Sanju Samson said after the match.
Despite their victory, the win came with a bitter taste for the Punjab Kings. While they secured a much-needed win and climbed out of the cellar position, Rajasthan Royals suffered a crucial loss that dented their hopes of a top-two finish in the league stage.
Though already securing a playoff spot a day prior, Rajasthan still craved the top-two position. This coveted ranking offers a significant advantage: two chances to qualify for the finals on May 26th in Chennai.
The loss leaves Rajasthan in second place with one remaining match in the season. Only they and the current table-toppers, Kolkata Knight Riders, have confirmed their spots in the playoffs. The top four teams progress to the playoffs, but the top two get a distinct advantage. The first and second-placed teams have a safety net – two opportunities to qualify for the finals. For Punjab, the win was more about pride than anything else. Already eliminated from playoff contention, they managed to restrict Rajasthan to a below-par score of 144 runs, despite a valiant 48-run knock from Riyan Parag in just 34 balls.
Punjab's bowlers were disciplined throughout the innings. Left-arm quick bowler Sam Curran dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal cheaply in the first over. Captain Sanju Samson also fell victim to Nathan Ellis' bowling after a sluggish start, scoring only 18 runs. Rajasthan's batting woes continued with most batsmen failing to capitalize. However, Riyan Parag and Ravichandran Ashwin (28 runs off 19 balls) managed a crucial 50-run partnership before the rest of the batting order crumbled. Curran, Harshal Patel (fast bowler), and Rahul Chahal (spinner) shared the bowling spoils, picking up two wickets each for Punjab.
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